New coin celebrates 70 years of the shows, people and moments that shaped Australia, The Royal Australian Mint , 11 September 2026
Seventy years after television first flickered to life in Australian homes, the Royal Australian Mint is celebrating the remarkable role the small screen has played in the lives of generations with the release of a colourful new 50 cent commemorative coin.
Australian television officially began on 16 September 1956, when Sydney’s TCN-9 broadcast the now- famous words, “Good evening, and welcome to television,” by Bruce Gyngell.
For a country on the cusp of a new era, the arrival of television was something to get excited about. Television sets were still a novelty, with fewer than 100,000 in Australian homes in 1956. Some people gathered outside shop windows to catch a glimpse of the first broadcasts, while families who had invested in a new set rearranged their living rooms around their new centrepiece.
And then came the Olympics.
Television arrived just in time for the 1956 Melbourne Olympic Games, allowing Australians to experience the excitement of the first Olympics held outside Europe or the United States on their own screens. Australian sporting heroes including Betty Cuthbert, Dawn Fraser and Murray Rose became household names as the nation watched their achievements unfold.
From those early black-and-white broadcasts, television quickly became woven into the fabric of Australian life. Variety shows brought performers and personalities into living rooms, news programs connected Australians with events around the world and children’s programs introduced characters and presenters who became familiar faces to generations of young viewers.
The introduction of colour television in 1975 transformed the experience again. Suddenly, Australia’s screens were filled with colour, music, sport and spectacle. Programs such as Rage helped shape Australia’s music culture, while Play School became a beloved fixture for young viewers. Neighbours turned Ramsay Street into a place millions of Australians felt they knew, while programs including Four Corners brought important stories and national conversations into homes across the country.
Television also gave Australians a front-row seat to moments that might otherwise have felt distant – from major sporting triumphs and royal occasions to breaking news, national celebrations and events that became shared memories. As broadcasting expanded into regional and remote Australia, television helped connect communities to one another and to the wider nation. It brought Australians together around major moments while also giving audiences a window into lives, places and stories beyond their own.
For many Australians, memories of television are deeply personal: the family gathered around the lounge- room set, staying up to watch a favourite program, racing home for the latest episode, watching a sporting hero make history or seeing a familiar presenter appear on screen night after night. Royal Australian Mint Chief Executive Officer Emily Martin said television has been a constant companion for generations of Australians.
“From the excitement of those very first broadcasts in 1956 to the way we watch television today, it has introduced us to characters, performers, journalists, sporting heroes and stories that have become part of our collective memory.
“This coin is a celebration of that journey. It captures some of the moments and personalities that have made Australian television such an important part of our lives and pays tribute to the sense of wonder that surrounded those first broadcasts,” Ms Martin said.
Nine Entertainment Chief Executive Officer Matt Stanton said the story of Australian television was a story of our shared culture, our triumphs and our tragedies.
“Australian television is a story of our national identity, our national moments, captured for the entire nation to see and share together.
“While television and audiences have drastically changed over the past seven decades, this evolution has ensured it remains a fundamental part of Australia’s infrastructure and will continue to shape conversations for many years to come.
“We are proud of the role we’ve played in television’s history in this country, and are thrilled to see it commemorated by the Mint with this special coin,” Mr Stanton said.
The coin’s design is a playful tapestry of small icons and illustrations representing memorable moments from Australian television, weaving together historical, cultural and social milestones from seven decades of broadcasting.
Colourful elements inspired by the familiar colour bars of a television test pattern sit alongside black-and- white elements, reflecting the journey from the earliest days of television to today’s digital screens. The design deliberately combines relief and printed elements to create a lively visual story. The result is a nostalgic snapshot of Australian television – a celebration of the shows we watched, the people we welcomed into our homes and the moments we shared as a nation.
The 70th Anniversary of Australia’s First Television Broadcast 2026 50c Coloured Uncirculated Coin is available in a presentation card, with a 50c Coloured Fine Silver Proof Coin also available in a storage case with a certificate of authenticity.
For further information, visit the Royal Australian Mint website at www.ramint.gov.au.